Gala Casino Review

Gala Casino Overview

Gala Casino is a well-known and popular brand that has been operating in the UK for over a decade. They have built up an excellent reputation through their openness and exceptionally high standards.

To help drive growth further they have implemented a number of promotions to hook new customers and keep them engaged after they have signed up. Of course, a sweet promotion might get someone’s foot in the door but if the rest of the platform is not up to scratch they will drift away.

With this in mind, we will take a look at their complete package in-depth and see how it measures up in our Gala Casino review.

For those unfamiliar with the brand, Gala Interactive is part of the larger Coral Group. Coral is one of the biggest gaming companies in Europe and has an online and offline presence throughout the world.

Their primary market remains the UK and their name will be familiar with most British punters. Coral Group established the Gala brand to cater to the online side of the industry through Galacasino.com and GalaBingo.com. Gala Casino provides table games, online slots, and live gaming and will be the focus of this review.

With such a fine pedigree behind them, you would expect a top-quality product, which is, on the whole, what you find. With a fine selection of games, good customer service, and a variety of payment options, Gala online casino is an experience that is well worth a spin.

Pros & Cons of Gala Online Casino

Pros

• Gala Casino offers a large number of ongoing promotions for both new and existing customers to take advantage of. The ability to choose between two welcome offers is a nice touch.
• Gala Online Casino has large, powerful backing which provides security and legitimacy. There is little worry about the company folding overnight.
• The live gaming selection is a high point. Its attractive, professional dealers front a top-quality product with a good variety of live games.
• Gala Casino offers a seamless mobile version of the full site which mirrors its options and features.
• For those hunting for a big payout, the site has a wealth of jackpot slots which offer massive top prizes.
• Excellent customer service with messaging, live chat, and email options provided.
• The site offers a plethora of extra information. This includes news, gamble aware information, and also topics like game rules and strategies.

Cons

• While there are plenty of promotions, the welcome bonuses could be more generous.
• Many countries do not have access to the site, including several within Europe.
• The non-live table game selection is a let-down and could benefit from some expansion.

Is Gala Online Casino Safe?

With backing from the Coral Group, you would naturally assume that this is a legitimate site that is safe for customers to use. Of course one can never rely on assumptions so we have delved deep to back this claim up with concrete facts.

The casino is particularly transparent when it comes to security and fairness. Click on the Fairness link at the bottom of the site and extra information is conveniently provided to help reassure customers. Three key areas that we will use to judge safety are security, regulation, and fairness. Get these right and you can be assured that you are using a safe site.

Security

One thing we liked was the sites no-nonsense openness. Head to the help centre for information and they cover almost everything you could think of. This includes the security of personal data and how it is used.

They honestly state that no online data can be completely safe but Gala Casino does their utmost to protect the data they collect. They do this through modern encryption methods and by storing data on dedicated servers.

The help centre clearly explains exactly why they need each piece of information they request, and how long it is stored before being safely deleted. This includes personal details, recorded phone calls, and marketing consents and so on. Customer rights to this data, including opt-outs, are clearly explained and this openness helps to foster trust in the site.

Regulation

Being a company which such a strong presence in the UK gaming market you would hope that they are legally up to the task. Fortunately, this is the case and the site is bolstered by two heavyweight regulators behind them.

The first one is the highly regarded Gibraltar Gambling Commission which regulates the company using guidelines laid out in the Gambling Act of 2005. Punters who use the site from the UK are covered by the UK Gambling Commission. Clearly, the company is up to speed with its regulatory responsibilities.

Fairness

This is another area that the casino is upfront about and which scores well. Fairness is something that a huge company like the Coral Group needs to get right or they would risk damaging the respect they have built up over the years.

To help achieve this, the casino uses Random Number Generators (RNGs) built by Playtech. These RNGs have been tested by auditing company GLI Europe BV. This is an independent testing company that the Gibraltar Gambling Commission has approved. This ensures that every outcome is fair, free of bias, and unaffected by what has previously occurred in the game.

This also means that the Return to Player rates are accurate and players can expect fair returns on their bets. Game histories are recorded and players have access to all of their gaming results through their account.

Finally, live games are recorded and monitored meticulously to ensure that they are completely fair. Of course, humans can make mistakes, but any mishap is captured on film and any concerns can be raised by players.

To sum up, we would have to say that Gala Casino is as safe as it gets and customers should feel completely confident using this site. This includes submitting personal details and playing games which have been confirmed fair by third-party testing. By the way, the results of these tests are available on the site for players to check for themselves.

Welcome Bonus for New Customers

Welcome bonuses always make a good first impression and set the mood for the proceeding relationship. To sweeten the sign-up process Gala Casino has set up two Welcome Bonuses for new customers.

Only one can be used so it comes down to the preference of the individual user which one to go for. Slot machines fans can opt for the free spins offer, while fans of table games will probably be more attracted to the free chips bundle.

Gala Casino Sign Up Bonus

Both offers require a first deposit and a stake of £20 to be eligible. Once these requirements have been met then the new customer can choose either 50 free spins or 20 free chips. There are a number of terms to the offer, the key ones you can find here:

• This offer is solely for first-time users of the site who are 18 years old or over.
• The offer is not available to customers from Belarus, Georgia, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Slovakia or Croatia.
• Check your deposit method. Players who use Paysafecard, Skrill, Neteller, or any pre-paid card will not be eligible for the bonus.
• The minimum deposit required to trigger the offer is £20.
• Each free spin has a value of 25p. The chips have a value of £1 each.
• The free spins can be used on these games – AOTGs: God of Storms, Batman & Catwoman Cash, Batman & The Joker Jewels, Batman vs Superman, Frankie Dettori’s Sporting Legend, Frankie Dettori’s Magic Seven, Gladiator 2 Road To Rome, Gladiator JP, Halloween Fortune II, Jekyll & Hyde, King of Olympus (Zeus), Man Of Steel, Miss Fortune, Prince of Olympus, Robocop, Superman 2.
• The free chips can be used on European Roulette, Premium Roulette, certain Live Roulette games, Blackjack Multihand, and Premium Blackjack.

Full terms and conditions can be found at the site and it is recommended to read them carefully.

Free Spins & No Deposit Bonus Codes

Once a player has used the Welcome Bonus there are a ton of further promotions that they can take advantage of. The logical next step is to opt-in for the second and third deposit bonuses. These offers are very similar to the Welcome Bonus with players being rewarded either 30 free spins or 15 free chips for each respective promo.

Once again, players select the rewards most suited to them. The terms are similar to those mentioned above, as are the game restrictions.

Promotions

On top of these offers are ongoing promotions to keep the games flowing. Throughout the month, when players stake £100 on Roulette, Live Casino, or Blackjack, or £20 on slots they will earn a point. These points can be collected to win prizes such as cash or free spins.

The current Fresh ‘n’ Fierce Bonus Back is an interesting one. Players spend a minimum of £10 to be eligible for refunds on loses up to a maximum of £50. The offer is limited to certain slots and is an excellent chance for players to try them out if they haven’t done so already.

Like a challenge? Gala Casino has you covered with tasks that are not only tough but financially rewarding. Points are collected for staking a set amount on certain games. There are five challenges in total and if users score enough points they will be rewarded with free spins and cash.

Players who like their gaming live can also benefit from the Live Casino Blackjack Booster bonus. This offer is comprised of several juicy elements which make it a great promo to get involved with:

Blackjack Fever

A £10 reward for each blackjack in the next 10 hands.

Side Bets Happy Hour

One hour to make side bets. If they are unsuccessful the player gets £20.

Hot Streak

£50 for winning five hands on the trot.

Second Chance

£20 for losing 3 hands in a row.

Host’s Choice

The host chooses a hand combination and if the player makes it in the next 10 rounds they win £50.

Who would say no to a bank account boost of £2 million? Not too many people we reckon and this is the amount that the Jackpot King bonus is presently worth. To get their hands on this mega win, players need to look out for slots that have the Jackpot King logo associated with them.

These are the ones that have the ability to pay out this massive prize. Slots like Ave Caesar and the excellent Top Cat are some examples of games that have the potential to alter lives.

Lastly, Gala Casino also rewards VIPs with exclusive ongoing promotions that we will take a closer look at in the section below.

Games & Software

Games are what can make or break a site and this being a Coral Group product, we are treated to a large number of high-quality titles. Slots make up the bulk of the games, but they are backed up by a respectable number of table games and live games.

Providers of note include industry-leading companies:

• Microgaming;
• NetEnt;
• NextGen Gaming;
• IGT;
• Inspired;
• Big Time Gaming;
• Playtech.

As usual, slots make up the bulk of the games and the rest are broken down into separate categories to sort through quickly and easily. As well as video slots, gamers can have their needs met with table and card games in the Casino section, Jackpot games for epic wins, Live Casino, and the mysterious Macau section. There are hundreds of games here, most of which are of pleasantly high quality. Let us break them down and take a look.

Slots

At the time of review, there were over 300 slots at the casino. This is not an enormous amount compared to some of the competition but more than enough to find old favourites as well as discover new titles. To help choose the right game a handy search function breaks them up into categories like ‘New’, ‘Exclusive’, ‘Classic’, ‘Jackpot Size’, and more.

The Classics section has goodies like Leprechaun Luck, Raging Rhino, and Rainbow Riches. New slots to try out include the swashbuckling Pirates Plenty, Thor’s Lightening and the frenetic Volcano Eruption Extreme. Slot fans will easily find a plethora of entertainment options to keep them happy.

Megaways proves its popularity by powering many of the slots at Gala Casino. If you haven’t tried these exciting games before now might be the time. They can be confusing at first with their unusual mechanics but are a ton of fun once mastered. A couple of good starters are the soulful Wolf Legend, Medusa, and head off to Egypt for the Legacy of Ra.

Jackpot slots

Gala Casino has conveniently created a category that caters for gamers who are focused on bringing home the biggest prizes possible. This section lumps together games linked to the Jackpot King, as well as other progressive jackpot games, and general high paying slots.

It is a well thought out feature and is a good way of cutting through the selection to find maximum potential returns for your wagers.

Macau Slots

Don’t have time for a trip East to the gambling mecca of Macau? No problem, Gala Casino gives fans of Asian themed slots a chance to have the excitement at home with the range from the Macau category. Top titles in this section include Eastern Emeralds, Emperors Garden, and Astro Cat. Okay, so maybe a bit of imagination is required to really recreate the bright lights of Macau, but these slots go some way in providing the thrills of this major gambling hub.

Casino Games

Need a break from slots but not a break from gaming? No problem, click on the Casino category to take part in Gala Casino’s card and table games. This category is naturally leaner than its Slot brother with a couple of forms of Roulette and one of Baccarat to try.

Poker and blackjack are sorely missed, and to be honest, this is by far the weakest part of the site. Fans of table games would be better off heading over to the live gaming section which has a much better line up of their favourite games.

Live Gaming

Gala Casino’s live games provide a much stronger table gaming experience. Casino fans would do well to skip the video casino games and leap right into the live Roulette, Poker, Baccarat, or Blackjack action.

The standard of production is high and these games do a fantastic job of recreating the live buzz on whatever device you may be using. We all try not to judge a book by its cover, but the hosts are all young, well presented, and are a pleasure to play with. When you combine the live product with its excellent promotions it creates one of the biggest standouts on the site.

Gala Casino VIP Program

For high rollers who like to be taken care of in exchange for their custom and loyalty, Gala Casino has put in place a comprehensive VIP program. There are several tiers with increasing rewards and the monthly deposit requirements for these are:

• Bronze – £500
• Silver – £2000
• Gold – £4000

Platinum membership is by invitation only. Perks for being a VIP include welcome cash bonuses, exclusive promotions, weekly cash backs, exclusive events, and account management.

One of the exclusive VIP promos running at the moment is The Bounce Up to a Bonus. This offer rewards players with points for every £50 they stake on specific games. Each person who enters is guaranteed to win something and those with the most points will walk away with a generous top prize.

Customer Support

Gala Casino makes it easy to get in touch with their team via three key methods. Existing customers who are logged in can make use of the internal messaging service found in the My Account section.

Live chat is also available and is the fastest of the three methods for contacting the company for any issue that may arise. Finally, the casino can be emailed by filling in an email form which they aim to respond to as quickly as possible. All the interaction we had with the customer service department was more than satisfactory so no complaints there.

Banking

Gala Casino has made banking a painless process by including most of the common payment methods for both withdrawals and deposits. Cards are catered for, whether that is Visa, Mastercard, or Maestro. PayPal makes an appearance which is great because it adds another layer of trust to the proceedings. Not all casinos provide this method and it is certainly a welcome inclusion.

For those that prefer a tried and true method, bank transfers are on hand for them. Those who prefer speedier transactions can use EcoPayz, Paysafecard, Skrill, and Neteller. Some methods can only be used for deposits or withdrawals so check if you are covered first. After processing, e-Wallets have withdrawal times of up to 24 hours and are the quickest method. This is followed by cards with 2-5 days, and bank transfers of up to 3-7 days to clear.

Final Verdict

There are no major issues at Gala Casino that would put anyone off using it. A no deposit bonus would be a welcome addition, or a matching bonus to go along with the free chips. But let’s just put those aside on the wish list for now.

The games on offer are of an excellent standard, and on the whole, there is a large range. Main banking options are catered for and the site is backed up by a professional customer service team.

The slight let down is the casino game line-up which is weak, but it is not a deal-breaker and its live games more than makeup for the shortfall. All up, this is a solid online casino that warrants further research if you are thinking of giving Gala a crack.